Getting Used To It
by Miss Pookamonga
Summary: A series of oneshots focusing on Hiccup and Astrid's relationship. Fluff lovers rejoice! BREAKING POINT PART THREE IS UP!: "Hiccup...what are you doing in my bed?"
1. Breathless

_Dear Readers,_

_After seeing the movie twice (in 3D) and constantly browsing through this fanfiction section and deviantart, I have finally written down something of my own for this fandom. I have to say, I am VERY obsessed with HTTYD and seriously cannot tear my thoughts away from it for long, so it was only natural that this fic-writing happened xD And, to add to that, HiccupxAstrid has officially become my new OTP. I ADORE them. So, since I am a hopeless romantic and since my mind is always forming new plotdragons! (lol) every 3 seconds, I have decided to compile all the random HxA oneshots I think up in this fic. I really don't like this first one that much, since I wrote it late at night and my brain was only half-awake, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. And look forward to more! Thanks for reading, and by the way, I love reviews :D_

_Best regards from a dragon-loving bookworm,_

_Miss Pookamonga ;p__

* * *

  
_

**Getting Used To It**

* * *

_**"Wha—What? Is it always gonna be this way? 'Cause...I could get used to it." **_

_**—Hiccup**_

_

* * *

_

**I. Breathless

* * *

**

Sometimes, he made her breathless.

It would happen when they went flying together. It didn't matter if he was riding on Toothless' back, racing against her and her Deadly Nadder, or if they were riding together atop Toothless—somehow the wind could whisk the air right out of her lungs in a way that it never could when she flew alone. It was his closeness in the midst of cold mist and shadowy clouds, his warmth and his self-satisfied grin at having her there with him that would steal her breath away and carry it on the breeze to the glittering diamond stars. It was the simple thrill of being reminded that they had been the first two Vikings to share this extraordinary experience of being suspended in the heavens, and that were it not for him, she would have never been able to know what it would be like to touch the sky.

It would happen when she came to visit him at the forge. She would approach him quietly from behind so as not to disturb him, and would ease herself up onto an empty work table. Her eyes would instantly travel to his hands—which would be blackened with soot—as his fingers would dance across whatever object he happened to be crafting. For a young man who was no doubt still the clumsiest Viking alive in Berk despite his now heroic status, he had surprisingly deft fingers. In them, she would watch metal twist and bend at the simplest touch, as if he had some sort of magic flowing through his veins that could make a weapon or a trinket conform to his will. And then he would suddenly look up and notice her there, smile broadly, and wipe the sweat off his brow with the back one of those magic hands. And the breath would catch somewhere in her throat as she would drink in the lovely sight of his cheeks flushing red, his blackened hands leaving streaks all across his freckles, his green eyes glowing in the light of the fire, and his reddish-brown hair plastering to the back of his neck.

It would happen when she watched him draw. He would take that notebook of his everywhere, and when he'd think she wasn't looking, he'd whip it out from somewhere inside his vest and start scribbling all over it. She would watch him out of the corner of her eye as she practiced her fighting moves, and something would stir delightfully in the pit of her stomach as the realization that he was probably sketching _her _would seep through her. Then, when she would stop to rest, she'd sit down next to him and just study the way his face muscles would tighten and twitch at different intervals, the way he sometimes would bite his lip and tilt his head when examining his work, and the way his elbow would jerk back and forth sporadically as he drew the image. And when he was finished and would bashfully refuse to show her what he'd drawn, she'd momentarily forget to breathe when the all-too familiar blush would color his cheeks and he would awkwardly twist away from her, lifting a hand to shyly scratch the back of his head.

But of all the times when he made her breathless, the most powerful ones were the times when they would be alone together, wrapped in each other's arms. When he'd lift his fingers to delicately brush strands of her hair behind her ear, when his eyes would soften and he'd just gaze at her as if she was the most precious treasure in the world to him. When he would pull her against him so she could feel the heat radiating off his body, when he would let his hands roam across her neck and back to hold her firmly by her waist.

And when he would murmur her name softly before capturing her lips with his own—that was when he'd make her the most breathless of all.

But she never minded. Not one bit.


	2. Taken Care Of

_Dear Readers,_

_Eight reviews in less than 24 hours? I LOVE YOU PEOPLE! ::Hugs awesome reviewers:: I'm SO glad you all enjoyed the first one; thanks so much for reviewing! Now here's the second, as promised. I apologize if I made Astrid a bit OOC at the end--I was trying to keep her IC as best as possible. Thanks again, and enjoy this one!_

_Best regards from a dragon-loving bookworm,_

_Miss Pookamonga ;p_

_

* * *

_

**II. Taken Care Of

* * *

**

"Let me see."

"No! I'm fine—ow, HEY!"

Hiccup swiped his hand down and grabbed a firm hold of Astrid's flailing wrist before she could yank it away from him again. "Just let me take a look—"

"I _told_ you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock…the _third_…I am _fine_. That Terrible Terror just lit a little spark, that's all."

"Yeah, a little spark that nearly burned your skin off," the boy replied as he attempted to gently pry apart the fingers of Astrid's tight fist. "Will you _open your hand so I can see_!"

Astrid groaned (mostly out of annoyance and not from the stinging pain, she told herself) and rolled her eyes, but reluctantly uncurled her fingers from her palm. She winced unwittingly when Hiccup gasped in alarm at the nasty red blotch festering there. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. She'd seen worse, he'd seen worse. And it didn't really hurt. Well…not _too _much anyway…

"This needs to be bandaged," Hiccup declared, and before Astrid could say anything he had begun dragging her by the wrist towards his house.

"Hic—uh—oof!" Astrid stumbled over her own feet as she tried to regain her balance. "Hiccup, for Odin's _sake_—" She stopped in her tracks and heaved against Hiccup's surprisingly unyielding grip, causing him to topple backwards.

"Aah! Hey—_Astrid_! Come _on! _If we don't get that thing bandaged, it could—"

"I can _do _it _myself_!" She pulled her arm again, but Hiccup refused to let go, drawing it back towards him.

"We're closer to my house than we are to yours!"

"It'll be _fine_!"

"Why do you always have to insist on doing everything your—"

A familiar low gurgling noise caused both of them to suddenly halt their bickering.

Toothless was standing a few feet away from them, staring with wide green eyes, his head cocked to the side as if he couldn't comprehend why the two humans he was most acquainted with always had to fight over the simplest things. He grunted and puffed out two little clouds of grey smoke from his nostrils before rolling his eyes and squawking indignantly at them.

Astrid felt a hot blush rising in her cheeks. She was _not _about to let herself be embarrassed by a dragon…

"Oh, all _right_, I'll shut up. Come on," she grumbled, purposely avoiding Toothless' gaze as he rumbled with what she assumed was the sound of dragonish laughter.

She almost swung a punch at Hiccup when he smirked at her in victory, but to prevent any further interference from the monstrous black reptile intently watching them, Astrid grabbed at her skirt and held back the nearly insatiable urge. She grit her teeth and followed her boyfriend across the field and in through the back door of his house, rolling her eyes at the fact that he never once loosened his grip on her arm.

"Sit there," he instructed once they were inside, finally letting go of her and pointing to a wooden bench in the corner. Astrid muttered to herself and plopped down on the seat, rubbing her wrist with her uninjured hand. Dear _gods_, he had a tight grip. She could have sworn he had momentarily cut off her circulation.

Hiccup could feel Astrid's irritated gaze burning through him as he hurriedly searched the room for some ointment and cloth, nearly tripping over his prosthetic foot several times in the process. Okay, _maybe_ he'd overreacted. And of course, she could've bandaged her hand herself. But for some reason seeing that swollen red mark staining her palm had sparked some odd impulse inside him that made him want to…_take care of her_. The better part of him knew the Viking girl was more than capable of handling herself in far riskier situations, but he simply could not help feeling the way he did. Maybe it was some kind of "man" thing that happened when a guy had a girlfriend…perhaps he'd ask his dad or Gobber about it…

He finally located a bottle of ointment that was luckily still half-full, and, grabbing two cloths he'd found along with it, Hiccup hobbled over to where Astrid was sitting and knelt down, placing his supplies on the floor. "Okay, hold out your—"

"I _know _what to do," Astrid snapped, thrusting her left hand at him.

The instant she shut her mouth, however, she flushed pink with regret. That had sounded so harsh. He was only trying to be sweet, like always. Why did she have to get so worked up about it?

"This is going to sting a bit—but you probably already knew that," Hiccup said quietly, shooting her a reproachful glance before re-focusing his deep emerald eyes on her burned palm.

Astrid felt her stomach flop in guilt and mentally kicked herself for being so overly defensive.

But all her previous feelings suddenly evaporated when Hiccup lifted one of his hands to cradle hers.

Never before had she felt a touch so…_gentle_…from another human being other than her mother.

Sure, Hiccup had held her hand numerous times, had hugged her, had stroked her cheek before and after kissing her, but this—this was different. There was something so uniquely intimate about the way his palm cupped her knuckles this time, his warm skin brushing softly against her own. And when he ran his thumb across her fingers, lightly parting them so he could have better access to the burn…_that_ sent shivers dancing wildly up and down the length of her spine, momentarily numbing her to the pain.

"Don't move your hand," he instructed softly, absently stroking Astrid's fingertips as he lifted his other hand to bring the ointment-dipped cloth to her palm.

His voice was so low and breathy that it was almost hypnotic, and for a split second Astrid felt delightfully woozy. But then Hiccup pressed the cloth to the burn, and she hissed loudly at the sharp twinge of pain that suddenly shot through her system at the contact.

Hiccup's hand instantly tightened beneath hers. "It's okay," he continued in that hypnotic half-whisper as he continued to dab gently at the burn. "Won't take too long…"

Astrid relaxed her muscles at the sound of Hiccup's voice, and the numbing shivers returned as he tenderly cleaned her wound, all the while tracing little circles all over her fingers with his thumb. It surprised her that she had never before noticed just how soft his skin felt at the touch and how incredibly s_oothing_ it was to just sit there and relish the feeling of him tending to her. It was such a small injury compared to everything else that had happened to her in her lifetime—breaking her arm after falling out of a tree when she was three, twisting her right ankle during a hunting trip at eight, falling thigh-first on a jagged rock at ten—yet Astrid had never once been tended to with such delicate care before. Not even the Elder had the kind of tenderness in her healing touch that Hiccup had. There was something about the way he held her hand in his just then that was so uniquely…_Hiccup_. It was so simple and yet so breathtaking.

Hiccup didn't have to look up to know that Astrid's expression had changed. For some reason he could always sense what kind of mood she was in when she was staring intently at him, even if he couldn't see her eyes. He sensed her tension easing as he gently began wrapping a clean, dry cloth around her hand, and he wondered why she'd suddenly sobered up. Maybe she actually _liked _the fact that he had gone out of his way to take care of her? Was that even possible? Astrid Hofferson _hated _being looked after by anyone else other than herself (except if it was her mother, of course), and _especially_ hated if a _boy_ somehow found it necessary to use his "skills" to "protect" her as if she was the typical "damsel-in-distress." But she hadn't made a sound since the awful hiss of pain just a few moments ago, and Hiccup could feel with almost absolute certainty that she was no longer giving him a death glare. In fact, he sensed that her mood was somewhat…contemplative? Could that word ever apply to Astrid? He glanced upward, unable to contain his thoughts any longer.

But sure enough, her round, sapphire eyes were locked on the movements of his hands and were shadowed with what he could only conclude as being deep thoughtfulness.

He expected her to move her gaze to meet his eyes, but she didn't, and her own eyes remained where they were, closely observing his hands dressing her wound. So then, maybe he _was_ right. Maybe she actually _did_ like having him take care of her for once. A grin twitched at the edges of his mouth, and a sudden satisfied warmth flowed through his body at the thought.

Hiccup wrapped the final stretch of cloth around Astrid's hand, carefully tucking it in. Then, allowing the grin to spread across his face, he looked up again and this time met Astrid's eyes. "All done," he said softly.

Astrid couldn't help but return Hiccup's adorable grin as he glanced up at her. She looked back down at her now bandaged hand and blushed when she realized that Hiccup was still holding on to it, his thumb still poised against her fingers.

"Oh, wait!"

Astrid's head snapped up in surprise at the boy's sudden outburst, but before she could open her mouth to ask what was wrong, he gently lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a tender kiss against her fingertips. Astrid's eyes widened at the unexpected gesture, and the shivers along her spine intensified as the blush in her cheeks reddened.

Hiccup met her eyes again and smiled softly once more as he lowered her hand back to her lap. "_Now _it's all done," he nearly whispered, his eyes shining.

And it was in that moment that Astrid Hofferson decided that she didn't give a damn anymore about being the "tough girl" around Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

Although…

She punched him in the arm. "That was for not letting me do it myself," she said, grinning. Hiccup's smile widened.

"And?"

Astrid leaned forward and placed both her hands against Hiccup's chin, gazing seriously into his eyes. "_And_…this…is for taking care of me," she whispered, and pressed her lips gently to his.


	3. Busy

_Dear Readers,_

_So I went to check how many reviews I had today and was completely **BLOWN AWAY** when I saw that **10 MORE** reviews had popped up overnight. And then I came back on later and there were **3 MORE**! Which makes **13 MORE **reviews in less than 24 hours and **21 **in all. I am amazed. You guys are SO INCREDIBLY AWESOME! ::loves reviewers:: Anyway, here's the third one! I apologize for it not being as fluffy as the last two, but the plotdragon was begging to be written. And, seeing as several of you are either suffering from fic diabetes and/or serious dental issues, it might be good to lay off from the extreme sweetness for a chapter. Regardless of that, I hope you enjoy! And I really do appreciate all the reviews!_

_Best Regards from a dragon-loving Bookworm,_

_Miss Pookamonga ;p_

**PS: Valhallarama is/was the name of Hiccup's mother (in the book series)**.

_

* * *

_

**III. Busy

* * *

**

Gobber the Belch hobbled into the blacksmith shop, muttering to himself. Every time Stoick for some reason wanted to see his son and was unsure of Hiccup's whereabouts, _Gobber_ was the one who got stuck with the task of finding and retrieving the boy.

"As if the man couldn't jest get 'im 'imself. Really," Gobber grumbled as he lumbered around the shop, searching every nook and cranny for any sign of Berk's illustrious hero. "Hiccup! Are ye in 'ere?"

No answer.

Gobber moaned in frustration and ran his large, calloused hand over his face. He'd searched _everywhere _for that boy, but so far Hiccup Haddock had been a no-show. He wasn't messing around in his house, he hadn't gone out for a flight because his dragon was at home snoring like thunder, he wasn't in the Great Hall with his father, he wasn't by the docks, and he wasn't even at the Hofferson house. The forge was the last place Gobber had come to search, and yet Stoick's son _still _had managed to evade the burly Viking. Where in the name of Thor could he be? Gobber had already practically scoured the entire village for him.

The Viking made his way to the curtain separating the rest of the shop from Hiccup's little private back room. It was the last part of the shop that Gobber hadn't yet searched. Perhaps Hiccup would actually be in there. Hoping against hope, he lifted his hand and pulled back the thick sheet of fabric—

—and stopped dead in his tracks.

His jaw dropped and he had to fight desperately to prevent himself from bursting out into a fit of hearty laughter when the sight before him met his eyes. Of course. Of course _this_ would be why Hiccup had disappeared off the face of the island! Gobber couldn't believe he hadn't even considered it.

There, sitting on his little wooden workbench, was none other than Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III himself, his arms wrapped around a slightly rumpled Astrid Hofferson sitting right in his lap and pressing her mouth against his. They were so caught up in their embrace that they were completely oblivious to Gobber's presence and merely continued kissing as Gobber assumed they had been doing _long_ before he'd arrived there. Shaking his head and grinning knowingly, still biting back a barrage of laughs, he quietly backed away, lowering the curtain and heading out of the shop, leaving the two to their…activity.

When the blacksmith finally returned to the Great Hall, Stoick was sitting at one of the tables, peering at him expectantly. "Well, where is he?"

Gobber let out a loud, rumbling laugh and plopped down on the bench next to Stoick. "He's busy," he replied, shaking his head again.

Stoick's bushy red eyebrows furrowed together in a frown. "What do ye _mean_, 'he's busy'?"

Gobber looked up and met his friend's confused and somewhat disgruntled face. "He's _busy_," he repeated, jerking his head to the side, hoping Stoick would catch on.

"Busy with _what_?" Stoick half-yelled in annoyance, his deep voice rattling the surface of the table.

Gobber snorted. "Busy with…_you know._"

There was a few seconds' pause. Then, suddenly, the realization dawned on Stoick and his green eyes widened so considerably that Gobber thought they would burst out of the man's skull.

The blacksmith burst out guffawing and slammed his fist on the table, quaking with laughter. "Dear _Odin_, that boy is just like you when you and Valhallarama first—"

"Where are they?"

"In the shop. The back room…"

Stoick turned his head away from Gobber in shock and stared off into the distance. "Hiccup…"

"He an' the Hofferson girl _really _have a thing for each other. Reminds me of someone I know." Gobber elbowed the chieftain playfully.

"Dear gods," muttered Stoick, half-lost in memories.

"Yep."

Stoick shook his head and let out a small chuckle before turning to his companion again. "Well, I suppose I'll jus' 'ave to wait, then, eh?"

Gobber grinned broadly and winked. "I suppose so."


	4. Trapped

_Dear Readers,_

_Okay, so I put this fic on a little hiatus, due to semi-writer's block and real life (which unfortunately right now involves me taking a stupid introductory English class that I am overqualified for and wouldn't have to be taking if my university had actually made the score on my Advanced Placement English exam in high school count for something). To make up for the lack of updates, here is a **somewhat longer, EXTREMELY FLUFFY** oneshot for you all to enjoy. Once again, I am completely blown away by the number of wonderful reviews I've gotten so far, and I am SO grateful to everyone who's read and commented. I love you all! Hopefully I won't take as long updating next time; it's a long weekend for me, so maybe I'll get another one up before Tuesday. Again, thanks so much, and I hope you continue to enjoy the fics!_

_Best regards from a dragon-loving bookworm,_

_Miss Pookamonga ;p_

_**PS:** Reply to just me's review of "Busy": I don't know why Astrid's last name is "Hofferson" instead of "Hoffersdóttir." The people at DreamWorks came up with last names for everybody, and that's the one they gave Astrid. I guess they wanted to anglicize everything to make it "easier" for non-Scandinavian people to relate to. lol_

_

* * *

_

**IV.**** Trapped**

**

* * *

**

It was a normal rainy day on the Isle of Berk, and the muddy streets were vacant due to the fact that all the village's inhabitants—human _and _dragon—were cooped up indoors, hiding from the frigid downpour.

Well, all except one.

To be fair, though, Astrid Hofferson _was_ in fact heading for shelter as she splashed through the ice-cold puddles accumulating on the ground. It hadn't been raining when she had left her house earlier for her routine visit to the forge, but unfortunately, Gobber's shop happened to be on the opposite side of the village from her home. And when she had been about halfway along in her hike, the clouds had rolled in from nowhere, dumping freezing water all over her unsuspecting figure and causing her to unleash a loud string of nasty curses at the sky. Now, as she finally jogged the final stretch to her destination, the Viking girl was completely soaked, half-covered in mud, and shivering down to her bones.

It felt like Valhalla to finally meet the sudden rush of warm air as she flung open the door of the shop. Heaving an exhausted sigh in relief, she collapsed onto a nearby bench, reveling in the dry heat of the forge for a few glorious moments before lifting her eyes to scan the area for her intended target.

A blush that had nothing to do with the temperature suddenly rose in Astrid's cheeks as she caught sight of Hiccup working by the fire. His back was to her and he was leaning over to plunge a finished sword into the cooling bucket beside him. Astrid giggled to herself at the fact that he was so engrossed in his work that he was still entirely oblivious to her presence. She wondered how long it would take for him to finally realize that she was there. Sometimes when she would visit, she would sneak in so quietly that he wouldn't suspect anything until she'd decide to blurt out something rather loudly, and he'd jump so wildly in shock that he'd send every weapon in the vicinity clattering to the floor.

Astrid's eyes followed Hiccup's movements carefully as she waited for the boy to take notice of her. She loved watching the way the fingers of his hand moved delicately over the blade of the sword, each one gently outlining the intricate design etched into the weapon's glinting surface. A delightful shiver ran up and down the length of Astrid's spine as she imagined those fingers brushing against her in that way, tracing invisible swirls across her skin.

Satisfied with his work, Hiccup finally left the fireside to place the newly finished sword on a rack on the wall, before heading to one of the worktables. Astrid kept her eyes focused on him the whole time, admiring how regally he carried himself now. The former noodle of a boy no longer slumped pathetically like a rejected outcast but instead stood erect with his head held high and his shoulders back like a true, proud Viking. Another shiver trickled down Astrid's spine, and she couldn't help but allow a tiny grin to twitch at the edge of her lips when Hiccup's deft fingers began fiddling with the knot at the back of his leather apron. After having undone the knot, he lifted the apron over his head and set it on the table, his newly gained posture never once buckling.

It was then that he did something unexpected.

Instead of turning around immediately to return to his spot by the fire, Hiccup's hands suddenly moved to his belt. Astrid froze as she watched him unwind the leather strap from around his waist and place it atop the apron. Then, his fingers grasped the edge of his tunic, and in one swift, fluid motion, he lifted the sweat-soaked piece of clothing over his head and let it drop to the surface of the table.

Astrid's heart stopped.

Berk was infamous for its cold, disagreeable weather, so there were very few occasions which warranted the removal of essential clothing items. Most of the time, the Viking villagers had all the more reason to don several additional layers of wool and furs to keep the chilly air at bay. But Astrid had completely forgotten about the forge, the exception to the rule. The air inside sometimes grew so sweltering hot that even a simple tunic could feel as smothering as a fur cloak—something which had obviously just occurred with regards to a certain blacksmith-turned-dragon-trainer…

Astrid's jaw dropped and she could do nothing but _stare_.

She had known for some time, of course, that Hiccup was no longer as scrawny as before since she had taken it upon herself to help train him in some proper battle arts. But what Astrid _hadn't_ known was just exactly _how_ much good her training had done him. The flaming light of the fire illuminated the contours of his lean muscles perfectly, and Astrid felt an intense burning sensation flooding through her own body at the sight. Her head began to pound as she found herself becoming entranced by the rippling of said muscles and by the slow movement of Hiccup's shoulder blades beneath his skin, which was glistening with sweat. He rolled his shoulders forward and back a few times, stretching himself out, while Astrid desperately tried to ignore the violent shuddering in her knees.

She was so caught up in her awed trance that she didn't notice Hiccup turning around until he let out a yelp of surprise at the sight of her.

"HOLY CR—_Astrid_!" Hiccup yelled, jumping back and knocking into the table.

"Aaah!" Astrid shrieked, startled by his sudden outburst.

"Whoa…I didn't hear you come in…why don't you ever announce yourself?" Hiccup huffed shakily, recovering from his shock. His lips spread into that characteristic lopsided grin of his as he shoved one hand into his hair and ambled towards Astrid.

Astrid, however, had become utterly distracted again and was now ogling the front view of Hiccup's bare torso. For the love of Thor, the boy had _definitely _gained a lot of muscle for one so skinny. His abdomen no longer lay flat but was now more sharply toned, as was his chest, which, in addition, had broadened in a way that made the poor Viking girl nearly faint on the spot.

"Hellooo, earth to Astrid!" Hiccup interrupted, waving a hand in front of Astrid's face. She blinked and shook her head, trying in vain to regain her composure.

"I—uh—hi," she uttered sheepishly, her eyes flickering upward to meet Hiccup's.

"You okay?" he chuckled, completely oblivious to the situation. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Astrid nodded dumbly, keeping her eyes locked on Hiccup's face and intently trying to avoid glancing down again. "Yeah, uh…I'm…fine…" She trailed off as she lost control and her gaze darted back to his chest. The steady rhythm of his breathing was almost hypnotic, and her eyelids drooped lazily as she watched his chest move up and down, more beads of sweat trickling down his skin with every breath he took…

"_Aaastrid_…are you sure you're ok—oh! You're all wet!"

Astrid's brain snapped into focus and she looked down at herself. She had completely forgotten about that…

Hiccup was already on the move. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," he repeated over and over, coming behind her and pushing her towards the fire. "Here, warm up—lemme see if I have anything dry you can change into—oh _gods_, you're _soaked—"_

Astrid took full advantage of Hiccup's worried frenzy, taking the opportunity to stare openly at his upper body without him noticing. Her heartbeat hammered against her ribcage when she noticed that not only had his back, stomach, and chest gained some muscle, but his arms had as well. Her eyes traced the curves of his biceps hungrily as the muscles flexed and stretched with every frantic movement of his body.

"Ah, here we go!"

Hiccup spun around and quickly headed back towards Astrid, holding a wrinkled grey tunic in his hand. Astrid gulped at the sight of the muscles tensing in his forearm as he held the piece of clothing out to her. "Here, you can wear this. It's Gobber's—don't worry, it's clean—but he never wears it. You can change in the back room," Hiccup tilted his head in the intended direction.

Once again, Astrid nodded dumbly, desperately fighting to keep a hold on her sanity. "Right. Thanks," she half-choked, before grabbing the tunic out of Hiccup's hand and sprinting into the back room.

When she was in the privacy of her own space, Astrid plopped down on Hiccup's stool and exhaled loudly, finally glad to be rid of the tension in her chest. Dear gods in Asgard, she needed to get a grip on herself. All it took was for Hiccup to appear half-naked, and she was suddenly completely immobilized. Why in the name of Odin was this so incredibly distracting? Damn Hiccup and his perfect, delicious, gorgeous—

"Hey, Astrid, you okay back there?"

Astrid groaned through gritted teeth at the way her heart automatically fluttered at the sound of Hiccup's voice. "Yeah, fine," she called. She took her sweet time removing her drenched clothing, loosening her hair, and slipping into the tunic. It was so large that one side of the neckline sagged below her shoulder, and the bottom hem fell down to her knees. Astrid sighed as she rolled up the ridiculously long, baggy sleeves. At least it was warm and dry.

Reluctantly, she finished gathering her wet clothes and boots and padded back into the main room in her bare feet. Quickly, she averted her gaze from the overly concerned boy making his way to her and instead stared intently at the cracks in the floor. "I'll lay 'em out to dry for you," he offered, and Astrid risked looking up at him. It was a horrible idea, because the minute she did so, she lost all powers of speech again.

Fortunately, Hiccup didn't seem to notice her daze this time and merely took the bundle from Astrid's arms, heading to the work table to lay her clothes out next to the ones he had discarded.

But _un_fortunately, the moment didn't last very long. Hiccup was finished in an instant, and the minute he turned back around, his eyebrows creased in concern and he asked yet again, "Are you _sure _you're okay?"

Astrid nodded wildly, letting her eyes dart everywhere except to him. "Yep. I told you. Fine. Just…cold."

Hiccup wasn't convinced. He took a step towards her. "You look kind of sick—how long were you outside in the rain?"

Astrid shook her head. "I'm not sick. I feel fine. Really." The floor had suddenly become quite interesting again.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Hiccup's warm hand brush softly against her cheek. Without thinking, she allowed her eyes to flicker upward, and she almost had a heart attack. Odin help her, he was _right there_, and she was close enough to touch him—

"I should go." The words flew out of her mouth before she could make sense of them in her mind.

Her eyes lifted to find Hiccup with a slightly confused look on his face. He raised an eyebrow. "You can't go out dressed like this. Besides, you just got here."

Astrid shook her head again, squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to be distracted by…_that_. "No, no, I'll just change back into my clothes—I really should go."

He laid a hand on her covered shoulder. "Astrid, what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" she blurted out much too loudly, pulling herself away from him and nearly dashing to the other end of the room to grab her still soaked clothes.

"Astrid…"

"It's…you're right. I _do_ feel kind of sick. I should go home—"

"_Astrid_!"

She whirled around to face him.

An awkward silence fell over the pair as they just stared at each other. Astrid shook as she locked eyes with Hiccup's. This was so incredibly stupid; _she _was being so incredibly stupid…

And then something happened.

First, Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows as he examined Astrid's bewildering condition. His gaze ran up and down the length of her body—causing a tidal wave of shivers to sweep through her. Then, his eyes found Astrid's face again. He roamed over it thoughtfully before suddenly looking down at himself. And then it hit him.

An expression she had never seen before suddenly crossed Hiccup's features, causing every vital organ in Astrid's body to cease functioning. His eyes narrowed mischievously, shining brilliantly in the light of the fire. And then…then, as Astrid swore she couldn't take any more of this, his mouth twitched upward into a grin that could only be read as being undeniably, unmistakably…

…_seductive._

Oh, in the dear name of holy Freyja herself. This. Was. _So_. _Bad._

"Astrid," Hiccup repeated, but this time his voice was low and breathy and utterly mesmerizing. He took a slow step in her direction.

A sound somewhat resembling a squeak issued from her throat. Oh gods. She was _trapped_.

Hiccup's grin only widened at Astrid's reaction. With a newfound confidence, he took another slow step towards her. Astrid gripped the bundle of clothes tightly and backed up against the edge of the table.

"Y'know, you could've just said something," Hiccup continued in _that voice_, taking yet another step towards the frozen girl.

Oh gods, oh _gods_. He was getting _closer_. Astrid hastily dropped her clothes on the floor and scooted sideways. Hiccup merely followed her movement.

"Come on, you're not going to run away from me, are you?" His voice dropped to a whisper and his face suddenly grew serious. Astrid shuddered.

Why in the Hel couldn't she fight back? He had _complete_ control of her and she wasn't _doing _anything about it!

"Astrid."

Her back thudded against the wall. Oh _no…_

But it was too late. Hiccup placed a hand on the wall on either side of her, boxing her in, and the seductive smirk returned to his face as he peered down at her in victory.

She had also conveniently forgotten the fact that Hiccup had gained a few inches on her and was now the taller one.

"Don't you have some work to do?" Astrid whined pathetically.

Hiccup's smirk broadened as he leaned his head down to brush his lips against her ear. "Oh, I have _plenty _of work to do," he murmured huskily.

Astrid's eyes widened.

But before she could contemplate the full extent of his words, Hiccup tilted his head and pressed a soft kiss just below her ear, incapacitating her completely.

She finally gave in to the chaotic swirl of sensations stirring inside of her as Hiccup slid his hands down the curves of her body to rest firmly on her hips. Astrid let out a series of tiny gasps as he tilted his head further and trailed soft, slow kisses underneath her ear, across her jaw line, and down her neck. Her own hands finally came to rest against his bare skin, her fingers slipping gently over the sweaty outlines of his newly acquired muscles as he continued kissing downward. His lips followed the curve of her neck to her one uncovered shoulder, where he allowed his tongue to dart out and join the caress of her skin as she shuddered again and gasped slightly louder.

"_Hiccup…_" Astrid whispered shakily, letting her eyelids flutter closed.

"Shh," Hiccup breathed against her skin as he retraced his kisses upward, moving to the opposite side of her neck. She bit her lip and arched her neck to the side automatically, allowing him access. He pressed his weight against her as he repeated the process, and Astrid's fingers clenched against his chest. The scraping of her fingernails over his skin elicited a soft moan from his own throat, and Astrid smirked a little at the sound.

Her small victory was short-lived, however, because Hiccup suddenly drew his lips away from Astrid's neck and lifted a hand to thread his fingers through her damp, loose hair. Before she could take a proper breath, Hiccup gripped the back of her head firmly and pressed his lips to hers. She whimpered pitifully as he moved his mouth torturously slowly against hers, his tongue darting out teasingly. Moaning in ecstasy, Astrid relented and allowed Hiccup's lips to gently part her own. She trembled and ran her fingers all over his chest and stomach and shoulders and across his back as their tongues comingled, each one eagerly savoring the taste of the other.

Hiccup pushed Astrid's body against the wall as he deepened the kiss, trapping her in further. She moaned blissfully again into his mouth, her hands clutching desperately at his neck. She could feel him smile into the kiss as he nipped her lip playfully and slid one hand from her waist down to her thigh, slipping his warm fingers beneath the hem of her tunic and lifting her leg so it could wrap around his. Astrid sighed loudly and tightened her leg's grip around the back of Hiccup's knee, drawing him impossibly closer.

It felt like hours—possibly even _days_—before Hiccup finally pulled away, partially releasing Astrid from her entrapment. By that time she was panting heavily from lack of air, and there were intense tingles wildly creeping throughout every part of her body. Her wide eyes locked with Hiccup's as he leaned his forehead against hers, a tiny grin forming on his swollen lips. It was gentler than before, but even so, it still held a trace of the seductiveness it had had earlier.

"Well," Hiccup said breathlessly, his chest heaving against Astrid's. "_That_ was interesting."

Astrid could only stare wordlessly at him, her senses and her mind still in a daze from their passionate embrace.

"What? You're not going to yell at me? Not even a punch in the arm?" he laughed amusedly, his entire face lighting up.

"I…I don't think…I don't think I have…enough energy left," she finally managed to stutter, her face flushing furiously.

Hiccup laughed again and placed a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose. "I guess you owe me next time," he joked, bringing his hand to rest against her cheek.

Astrid mustered enough strength to narrow her eyes and smirk at him. "Oh, _definitely_," she whispered dangerously, earning a blush from Hiccup. "You had better be ready."


	5. Breaking Point, Part One

_Dear Readers,_

_I sincerely apologize for the long wait! I know it's been a while since my last update, and I'm really sorry. I got struck with summer laziness combined with a bout of mild writer's block. And then my aunt had to go to the hospital, so I was pretty much unable to do much of anything this past week. Luckily, I finally forced this out of me today. I hope you aren't disappointed by the fact that this one **is actually only the first half **of this ficlet-it's 2 A.M. right now; plus, I didn't want to have to make this too long. The second half should be up in a few days, hopefully. And I apologize that after such a long wait, you have to get angst thrown at you. ::continues apologizing:: Anyway, I hope you still enjoy it, and stay tuned for part two. Thanks SO MUCH for all the reviews, I'm extremely flattered and I really can't believe how popular this has gotten already. I love you guys!_

_Best regards from a dragon-loving bookworm,_

_Miss Pookamonga ;p_

_**PS: This fic does contain some mild violent content of a nature that may potentially be somewhat disturbing; however, it is NOT explicit at ALL. I just wanted to put out a warning just in case.

* * *

**  
_

**V. Breaking Point, Part One

* * *

**

The day had started out innocently enough.

Today had been one of those days when a neighboring village had sent ships to Berk for trading purposes. So, as to be expected, the village square had been crowded with vending booths and eager customers swarming to get a good look at whatever new wares were being showcased. I, for one, had never cared much for shopping, so on trading days I always avoided the hustle and bustle of the marketplace and headed out to the peace and quiet of the forest to get some extra training—or extra rest—in.

This morning I hadn't felt much like working out, so I'd set out with my Nadder, Cloudbreak, to go find Hiccup and Toothless and see if they wanted to head off to the cove with us. Unfortunately, Cloudbreak and I hadn't been able to find them anywhere among the throng of Vikings scrambling to get the best bids on merchandise. So, we had finally given up our search and gone off to the cove on our own, hoping that maybe Hiccup and Toothless had had the same idea and had already gone there.

We had been lounging in the grass for an hour before both of us had come to the conclusion that neither Hiccup nor Toothless was going to show up, so we had decided to go flying for a bit. Afterwards, Cloudbreak had gotten hungry and so she had gone off to hunt, leaving me in the cove to nap—or try to, anyway.

The sun was now beginning to set, and since Cloudbreak hadn't returned yet, I decided to start walking back to the village on my own. If C.B. didn't find me in the cove, she'd automatically assume I'd gone home and just meet me there, so there wasn't really much to worry about.

It was twilight by the time I reached the outskirts of the village, and I could see torchlight glowing from outside the Mead Hall and from the doors of several houses in the distance. The echo of noise from the marketplace still lingered; it was much quieter than it had been earlier, but the wave of voices was still distinctly audible even from the edge of the forest. A few large dragons were baying at each other from rooftops, and a flock of Terrible Terrors was flitting overhead, each one spitting fire at another. I smiled to myself as I ambled down an alleyway towards the center of the village. Summer nights like these were part of what made me love Berk so much. Now that Vikings and dragons were no longer at war, there was no need to worry about raids on clear nights such as this one, and everyone could just enjoy the calm of oncoming night in relative peace.

"Hey, there!"

Well, most of the time.

I whipped my head around at the sound of the deep, brusque voice that had presumably called out to me, and I was met with the sight of three burly Viking boys lounging against the shadowed wall of an empty house. I rolled my eyes and turned the corner without so much as a second glance. This always happened on trading days—random guys from the neighboring village making fools of themselves, trying to get my attention. I always ignored them, and they always backed off, eventually.

But these guys weren't so easily shaken by my dismissive attitude. I could hear them lumbering after me from the moment I turned the corner, and I groaned to myself. I was going to have to resort to threatening. I instantly regretted leaving my axe _and _my armored skirt at home; thosewould've made a statement in and of themselves. But since I was without them, I was going to have to make do with what I had.

"Hey, hon, where ya goin'?" It was a different voice this time, but it still had the same rough tone as the first one.

I spun on my heel to face them, glowering in the most intimidating way I could. "Nowhere _you_ want to be," I snapped, staring down the biggest guy, who was obviously the ringleader.

"Oh ho ho," laughed one of the guys—a tall, broad-shouldered brunette—from behind the leader. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. And if you keep stalking me, I swear you're going to regret it," I growled through gritted teeth, balling my hands into fists at my sides.

"Really?" the big one said smoothly, smirking playfully at me as he stepped forward. I could see his toned muscles bulging out from underneath his tunic.

"Oh _yes._"

He suddenly threw his head back and let loose a loud, rumbling laugh that rattled the walls of the houses on either side of us. The other two joined in, cackling madly like a pair of crazed hags. I felt a cold chill shoot down my spine in spite of myself, but I quickly shook it off and returned to scowling at the trio.

"So if you don't _mind_," I snarled over the jarring sound of their laughter, "I'm going to finish walking home by myself." I turned swiftly, but a beefy arm shot out in front of me, blocking my way.

"Aw, come on, walking home all alone? In the dark?" It was the third guy speaking, the one with a missing front tooth and hopelessly tangled hair. "Sounds…a bit dangerous, don'tcha think?"

There was a slight edge to his voice that made my heart skip, but I ignored it and boldly pushed his arm away from me. "Get lost," I muttered, refusing to turn back around and stomping forward towards the torchlight from the houses just a few blocks away.

The three of them cackled again, and this time, the big one managed to step right in front of me. I groaned and made to go around him, but he followed my movements, blocking me on either side. The other two kept on sniggering like madmen.

"Get _out _of my _way_!" I nearly yelled, glaring at the guy, who was at least twice Snotlout's size. In the darkened alley, the shadows falling upon him made him seem even larger, like a monster emerging from a nightmare. I tried not to shake as he stepped close to me once again, his unkempt face hovering above mine, its contours made grotesque and ghoulish by the encroaching night.

He gave me that same slimy smirk as he had a few moments before, and he continued walking forward without so much as a grunt. Startled, I stumbled backward to keep as much distance between us as I could. "I think your ships are going to leave soon," I spat, for lack of anything better to say.

"Oh, we have plenty of time," the big guy said hoarsely, beginning to walk faster. I suddenly became aware of my heart pounding against my ribcage, and I continued backing up wildly, scrambling to get away from him as quickly as possible.

But then my back thudded against a wall.

Before I could do anything, the big guy had stepped right up to me, looming over me and smirking even more devilishly than before. "You shouldn't try and run away, babe," he crooned, breathing heavily onto my upturned face. For the first time that night I felt a wave of fear sweep through my body, and I froze against the wall as I noticed the other two guys closing in on either side of me. Oh gods. This was not good.

The big one chuckled, as if he could sense my sudden fear. "Don't worry, babe, we won't hurt you." Still smirking, he lifted his hand to brush my bangs aside—

_BAM!_

Instinctively, I slammed a fist into his face, sending him reeling backward. Feeling the rush of adrenaline, I sprinted down the street as fast as my legs could carry me. Dear _Odin, _I wished C.B. would sense my fear and come flying to my rescue, but chances were she was on the other side of the island, still hunting, and wouldn't make it to me in time. Maybe, by some miracle, I would actually be able to outrun those jerks and get to the village square before they—

Out of nowhere, two more guys suddenly stepped into my path.

Oh _no. _

I felt so stupid. My face burned in fear and shame as I stared dumbly at the menacing shadows marching towards me. I should have been expecting something like this. Of _course _those three morons wouldn't have been the only ones waiting on some street corner for a dumb girl to come walking past them…

Acting fast, I changed my course and sped down another street, hoping to evade the herding pack. I could hear the pounding of their footsteps and the muffled cursing of the big guy whom I'd just punched echoing behind me. My pulse was pounding in my ears and I felt my breaths growing shorter with each step. I didn't know where I was going anymore. I turned this way and that, running down street after street, searching blindly for my destination, but I found myself trapped in a dark maze of empty houses. Oh gods, oh _gods_, where the Hel was I? Out of pure desperation, I finally opened my mouth to yell for help, but a heavy hand suddenly clamped it shut, and I fell backward, flailing.

I screamed, kicking at my captor, whose other arm was wrapped around my waist, crushing me to him. My mind was whirling chaotically in terror, conjuring up horrifying images that sent me into even more of a frenzy. Thor's hammer, there they were, the other four, ganging up on me, the big one in the lead. They'd trapped me, and I had no way of escaping. I screamed louder, kicked harder, but the guy holding me didn't even flinch, his iron grip only tightening with every desperate move I made.

"That was a stupid thing you did back there," the big guy growled as he and the rest of his posse circled around me. There was no humor in his eyes now, only pure malice. It was blazing in all of their eyes like the fervor of a Monstrous Nightmare on the hunt, and what little breath I had left caught in my throat.

"You should try to be more careful at night," he continued, inching closer. I squirmed, still hopelessly trying to escape. A tiny smirk flitted across his lips briefly before his face darkened again, and he leaned down until his forehead barely touched mine.

"Because there are some people…who might make _you _regret some things too."

In one swift motion, he grabbed me out of the other boy's grasp and threw me to the ground.

The pain shot through my body as my head pounded against the cold dirt. I opened my mouth to scream bloody murder, but the big guy swooped down on top of me, crushing my ribs and squeezing the air out of my lungs. I couldn't breathe and I couldn't move. I was helpless, completely and utterly helpless. And there were _five _of them. _Five_ guys circling me like a pack of hungry Nadders, all leering at me in _that _same way.

All wanting the same thing.

I squeaked feebly, my breath coming out in short gasps as hot tears poured down my face. I could feel the boy's rough hands trying to rip my tunic as he leaned down and crashed his mouth against my collarbone. Clenching my eyes shut, I tried to pray to the gods to make it quick, but all I could concentrate on was the sudden image of Hiccup invading my thoughts, of my mother, of Cloudbreak, of Toothless—

"_GET THE HEL AWAY FROM HER!"_

My eyes shot open.

I heard an ungodly cry of rage, and small, blurred figure rushed forward and barreled into the guy on top of me, knocking his startled form to the ground. There was a series of panicked shouts and then another inhuman shriek that sounded oddly familiar. But just as I was able to stand up off the ground to see what was going on, I heard two almighty roars from above me, and the area around me suddenly burst into flames.

"_NIGHT FURY!_" one of the guys screamed hysterically.

And then I saw. Toothless and Cloudbreak were hovering in the air, growling at the pack of boys and shooting fire in their direction as they all screeched like little girls and scrambled to escape. Well, all but one, who was currently paralyzed in fear on the ground, getting hopelessly pummeled by none other than a bloody-nosed…

…_Hiccup_.

"_PLEASE_, DON'T MAKE THE DRAGONS KILL ME! I'm SORRY—AAGH! OW!" the big guy yelled as Hiccup repeatedly nailed him in the face.

"YOU _GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SON OF A BITCH_!" Hiccup shrieked, swinging punch after punch while I stared dumbly at him. "YOU FREAKING_ BASTARD! YOU LOWLIFE PIECE OF SHIT, _I _SWEAR_, I WILL _KILL _YOU!"

Whether it was from the shock of everything that had just happened, or because I had been holding it in for so long, I didn't know. All I knew was, at that moment, I suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream and crumpled back to the ground.

And then everything went black.


	6. Breaking Point, Part Two

_Dear Readers,_

_Thanks SO MUCH for all your reviews! I would love to reply to them all individually, but now there are just so many that I can't keep track of them all, and I unfortunately don't have the time to go back and leave a reply for each one. But I want all of you to know that I cannot begin to express how much these reviews mean to me. It's incredibly flattering to know that so many people are really enjoying this! _

_Anyway, I apologize for taking WAY longer to post this than I originally said I would. I had writer's block, along with other random real life issues, and just plain laziness, so it's been kind of crazy for me. But I FINALLY finished this second part! Just **FYI-I did change one TINY detail in the first part. So if you feel like it, you can go read the first part again**. If not, it's not really a big deal. Anyhoo, this part is sort of a continuation of the last part, but it's in Hiccup's POV this time, so it kind of starts at the beginning and goes all through and past what happened in the first part. It'll make more sense when you read it. Also this is **NOT the final part**! There's one more (shorter) part coming after this that'll wrap this little ficlet up. I apologize for the fact that this 2nd part is so long, b/c Hiccup just happened to be conscious for way longer than Astrid was, so more stuff happened to him.  
_

_So, yeah. I'll shut up now. Enjoy, and thanks again for all the love!_

_Best regards from a dragon-loving Bookworm,  
Miss Pookamonga ;p

* * *

  
_

**VI. Breaking Point, Part Two

* * *

**

I had always hated trading days.

I had never been fond of large crowds, so naturally, trading days had been ideal days for me to avoid the village as much as possible. Unfortunately, I had never really gotten to do that. Gobber had always insisted on having me join him at his booth in the village square to help him sell weapons to neighboring villagers, despite the fact that I was infamous not only for being the clumsiest Viking alive but also for having an incredible lack of good social skills. Lugging weapons to and from the shop was brutal, but having to do customer service? _That _was pure Hel.

I had been hoping that this year, since I was now Berk's renowned "Dragon Whisperer," that I would be able to get out of my annual trading day duties. But in fact, it was because of my new status that Gobber had wanted me at his booth more than ever—to show off our new dragon equipment and, more importantly, to show off _me. _I was Berk's biggest celebrity since Grimbeard the Ghastly, and the village would never back down from a prime opportunity to brag about its most famous citizen. So I had spent pretty much the entire day smiling until my cheeks hurt, waving continually, answering a plethora of curious questions, kissing babies, and shaking hands until my arm had felt like it was going to fall off.

It was now sunset, and since the crowd had dwindled considerably, Gobber finally relieved me of celebrity duty. I hurried home as fast as I could on my prosthetic leg to meet Toothless. He immediately jumped up excitedly when he spotted me hobbling up the hill to our house—the poor guy had been forced to spend the day curled up in the yard, waiting for me to return. I knew he was expecting to go flying by the expectant twinkle in his enormous green eyes and by the way he kept tilting his head at me, as if silently asking for a favor, so I quickly gathered my gear and saddled him up. As we took off soaring into the cool evening air, I figured that after flying around for a bit, we could head off to the cove to see if Astrid and her Nadder, Cloudbreak, had gone there to meet us. I supposed that Astrid had probably been looking for me all day too, having hoped, like I had, that I would get out of trading day duties this year.

Toothless and I soared around for a little while, doing a few flips and barrel rolls here and there, until we both grew a bit tired and set off back towards the island. I guided Toothless to the cove, hoping that Astrid and C.B. might be there. But when we touched down by the little lake, there was no sign of either of them, so Toothless and I decided to just take a rest by ourselves and wait to see if they would show up.

I was leaning against Toothless' warm belly, beginning to doze off, when a sudden loud noise caused both of us to jump in alarm.

"What was that?"

"_RAAAAOOOAWWW!_"

Toothless instantly sprung up off the ground and began whipping his black-scaled head from side to side, all the while squawking in agitation. He bounded back and forth between the rock cliffs opposite each bank of the lake, his squawking growing increasingly louder and more frenzied as the strange noise in the distance intensified.

I scrambled to my feet, my stomach churning with anxiety. "Buddy, what's the matter?"

Toothless let out another strained squawk and galloped over to me. His glowing green irises were wide with fear, and his pupils had contracted to thin little slits. He roughly nudged me in the shoulder, growling throatily this time as if giving me some kind of warning.

"Toothless?" My heart was pounding wildly in my chest now. What was going on? I gently laid a hand on Toothless' snout, hoping to calm him down, but he merely shook it off and leapt over to one of the rock cliffs again, where he lifted his head up and wailed pitifully at the darkening sky.

I was about to rush over to him when I suddenly heard the odd warbling noise again, only this time it sounded much closer. Something about it seemed strangely familiar. I glanced over at Toothless again. He was now hopping about frantically, moaning and yowling in distress at the unseen source of the noise.

And then it hit me.

_Cloudbreak._

As if to confirm the truth of my realization, the striking Deadly Nadder suddenly emerged from the clouds, diving down towards the cove so swiftly that her blue and yellow scales were nothing but a blur. Before either Toothless or I could blink, C.B. had crash-landed at the edge of the lake, wailing and howling and splashing cold water everywhere.

"Cloudbreak!" I yelled, rushing towards the flailing dragon. At the sound of my voice, she vaulted out of the water and landed at my feet, spraying water droplets all over my body.

"_GRAAAAAAAAAW!" _the Nadder squawked loudly, before urgently pushing her snout against my shoulder in the exact way Toothless had done just a few moments earlier. The sharp spines around her head and along her tail were standing up on end, and her pupils, like Toothless', had contracted to slits.

Despite the heavy drumming of my heart against my ribcage, I tried to maintain as calm a composure as possible. If I freaked out, Toothless and C.B. would only freak out _more_, which was bound to cause chaos. "Hey, girl, take it easy," I cooed, rubbing a hand soothingly against her snout. "Where's Astrid?"

At the mention of Astrid's name, C.B. suddenly reared up on her hind legs and let out a strangled cry of anguish.

And that was when the terror set in.

My eyes widened. "Oh _gods_," I choked, suddenly trembling all over. "She's in trouble, isn't she?"

C.B. only cried out again, with Toothless joining her. The two dragons howled anxiously as they wound in frenetic circles around me.

"TOOTHLESS!" I hollered over their racket. If C.B. was _this_ worried…then Astrid was in serious danger. We needed to get to her. _Fast._

Toothless obediently leapt over to me, and I quickly climbed onto his back. "Come on, C.B.," I called to the nervous wreck of a Nadder still spinning in circles and bawling. "You gotta lead the way!"

Instantly, C.B. sprung off the ground, and Toothless and I followed suit. We shot over the forest canopy, reaching the edge of the village at record speed and quickly landing alongside some scattered houses. Judging by how dark our surroundings were, I figured that the houses were empty, their usual occupants not having returned yet from shopping in the village square. A shiver crept up my spine at the eerie silence pervading the air, and fear began clenching my lungs, shortening my already anxious breaths. As I climbed off Toothless, I suddenly realized that I had broken out into a nervous sweat during our brief flight as my forehead, neck, and hands were now cold and clammy.

_Calm down, Hiccup, _I told myself. _If you lose it, you'll never find Astrid in time. _I took a shaky—but deep—breath. Everything was going to be okay. We were going to find Astrid, and she was going to be—

"_Braawwk!" _

I blinked at the noise, all of a sudden noticing that C.B. had picked up a scent and was now heading down one shadowed street, sniffing at the ground. Toothless immediately trailed after her, poking his nose at the ground as well, and I skipped forward to keep up with him. We wound around several corners, my heart all the while hammering so hard in my chest that I swore I could hear the sound echoing against the walls of the empty houses.

"Please be all right," I whispered, silently begging the gods to protect Astrid from whatever harm had come to her.

Then C.B. suddenly stopped.

She froze, rigid as a statue, right in the middle of the street we were on. Her head perked up and her golden eyes widened as she abruptly tilted her head to the side, listening carefully for any noise and sniffing at the air simultaneously. I noticed Toothless doing the exact same thing, and my heart leapt into my throat.

"You guys think she's near—"

A series of muffled voices shut me up.

Straight away, C.B. sprung to life and was about to leap around the corner. But before I knew what I was doing, I stumbled forward and threw myself into her path.

"C.B. … _wait_!" I hissed suddenly, still surprised at my own action. The Nadder reluctantly sunk back down to the ground, both she and Toothless cocking their heads to the side and shooting me aggravated glares. "Let me…" What the Hel was I doing? "Let me check it out first."

_Idiot! Why did you say that?_

I instantly regretted my decision, but it was too late. Both dragons were now gazing at me expectantly, as if having acquiesced to my impulsive plea. I groaned inwardly, turned around, and crept up to the edge of the house we were standing beside. I cast one glance back at the two waiting dragons and sighed. "If anything goes wro—"

"You should try to be more careful at night," a deep, hoarse voice suddenly said from out of the darkness, causing my blood to run cold. "Because there are some people…who might make _you _regret some things too."

There was a muffled _thud_, and then I heard C.B. and Toothless start whining quietly behind me. Waving my hand to shush them, I furtively poked my head around corner to investigate what was going on and to see if this really was where Astrid had ended up…

…and then I froze in horror.

There, lying helplessly on the ground, was Astrid. And atop her, with his knees crushing her thighs, his upper body pressing against her chest, his hands pinning her arms to the ground, and his face contorting into a sickening smirk, was a brawny Viking boy from the neighboring village. Circled around him were four other boys—obviously his gang—and they were closing in on Astrid from all sides like dragons going in for the kill. And when I looked closer, I realized that Astrid had her eyes squeezed shut and was shuddering and wheezing breathlessly, as if she was _crying_…

Then something strange occurred.

It all happened so fast that I didn't even have time to think. All I knew was that something horrible started welling up inside me as I watched that guy lean over Astrid and grab at her tunic, lowering his mouth to the base of her neck. I began shaking—my insides boiling, my heart blazing up, and every fiber of my being quavering as if on the brink of explosion. He was going to…he was going to…do _that _to my Astrid. _MY _Astrid. _My beautiful Astrid._ He was trying to _hurt _my beautiful Astrid, and he was _enjoying _it—

"_GET THE HEL AWAY FROM HER!"_

Before I realized what I was doing, I found myself sprinting as fast as I could on my prosthetic towards the gang, screaming at the top of my lungs and ignoring everything except the image of that _son of a bitch _trapping my Astrid beneath him. I flew to her side in a matter of seconds, crashing into the guy on top of her and tackling him to the ground.

Had I been in a clearer state of mind, I probably would have stopped to gawk in amazement at the fact that I had actually single-handedly taken down a guy more than twice my size, but all I could think about was Astrid, _my_ Astrid, lying on the ground and sobbing, with him atop her. I suddenly locked my eyes on his face. His dirty, ugly, brutish face—the ghastly face of a monster—gaping up at me in shock as I pinned him to the ground with my knees. And then I did something I had never done to anyone before in my life.

I punched the guy in the nose. _Hard._

There was a sort of dizzying rush that swept through me upon my punching him—a kind of twisted sense of satisfaction at having caused him pain. It only fueled my rage, and so I swung my fist at his nose again, my heart leaping in my chest when I heard a loud _crack _and saw his blood pouring onto my knuckles. My mind vaguely registered the panicked shouts of the other boys and the thundering roars of Toothless and C.B.—along with a few fire blasts—but I was so focused on the brute beneath me that I didn't care what else was going on.

The guy bellowed in terror, staring, paralyzed, up at something above me—probably Toothless. The hideous sound of his voice ignited that spark of fury within me again, and I landed another punch on the guy's face. He howled in pain, his meaty fist flying up instinctively and crashing into my own nose. I yelped at the sharp pang that shot through my head from the blow, but I didn't relent, only turning back towards the monster to give him another clout. He screamed once more. I screamed back. And then I punched him again. And again. And again, and again, and again. I couldn't stop. I didn't _want _to stop. Never in my life had I felt so _angry_. But all I could see was that guy pinning my Astrid to the ground, ready to take advantage of her, and I wanted to do anything and everything to him to make him pay. I wanted to hurt him until he couldn't move. Until he couldn't breathe. I wanted to hurt him as much as he had wanted to hurt my Astrid. And not only did I want to hurt him, but I wanted to…I wanted to…to _kill _him. I wanted to beat him to death, to _murder_ the evil bastard with my bare hands.

"YOU _GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SON OF A BITCH_!" I shrieked, swinging more punches at his face while he screeched in agony. "YOU FREAKING_ BASTARD! YOU LOWLIFE PIECE OF SHIT, _I _SWEAR_, I WILL _KILL _YOU!"

I meant it with all my heart.

I kept on hitting him, wanting to break every bone in his skull. But then I suddenly heard a bloodcurdling scream from behind me and froze on the spot.

Whirling my head around, I caught sight of Astrid crumpling to the ground in a heap as C.B. and Toothless dropped from their hovering stance and rushed over to her, squawking worriedly. I cried out in alarm and scrambled off the bruised and bleeding beast beneath me, completely forgetting my resolve to kill him and instead staggering towards Astrid.

"_ASTRID_!" I screamed in horror, pushing past her frantically whining Nadder and dropping to my knees at her side.

Luckily, she had only fainted—I could see her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. But her face was covered in dirt, and I could see some small scratches and rapidly-forming bruises staining her pale skin wherever it was exposed. I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes at the sight of her lying there, looking so small, so alone, so…_weak._

"Oh, Astrid, I'm so sorry," I sobbed, leaning over her and pulling her to my chest. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"

"WHAT IN THE HOLY NAME O' ODIN IS GOIN' ON HERE?"

_Dad._

I jumped up from my place beside Astrid, and when I did, I was met with the startled faces of what looked like half the village and the entire visiting crowd, glowing in the light of several torches. Toothless gurgled from beside me, trying to lick at my nose, while C.B. merely kept on whining and nudging her unconscious rider, oblivious to anything else happening.

I slowly met my dad's eyes, which were wide with confusion and apprehension as he surveyed the scene before him. "Dad—"

"Good _GODS_, Hiccup, what the _Hel _happened to ya?"

I looked down at myself, and for the first time since the fray had started, I noticed the blood. My blood gushing out of my throbbing nose and across my mouth, and _his_ blood staining both of my trembling hands.

Then out of the blue, there came a loud shriek from the gathered crowd, and in an instant, the area around me was suddenly swarming with dozens of people.

"Odin's _beard_, his nose is broken!"

"Look here—it's the Hofferson girl! She's unconscious!"

"Thor's Hammer, there's blood _everywhere_!"

And then everything became a blur of faces, waving hands, blazing torches—my head began to spin, and I felt completely disoriented. The startled shrieks and cries of shock pounded through my head, but I couldn't make out any understandable words. I vaguely registered people pushing and pulling at me, but I was so lost and dazed that I couldn't recognize who they were or why they were trying to move me. Nothing made any sense anymore. The world around me was whirling in circles, faster and faster and faster—

"_YOU_! YOU DID THIS!"

A gruff roar of outrage knocked me back into focus, and all of a sudden I was face-to-face with a big-muscled, big-bearded Viking warrior.

"How _DARE _you! Son of the chief—this is a _DISGRACE_—you attacked my son!"

I blinked. His son? I glanced behind the man. And then there _he_ was again, screaming curses at me, blood streaming down his face—

I lost all control again and lunged.

"_LOW-LIFE SON OF A HALF-TROLL BASTARD_!"

Several pairs of arms grabbed hold of me and pulled me backward, but I strained and struggled against them, trying desperately to break free and get my hands on that monster. All I could see when I looked at him was his sick, smug little grin as he leaned down over my Astrid…

I started screaming again. I didn't even know what the Hel was coming out of my mouth—all I knew was that I wanted to kill him.

He, in turn, was lunging at me and still cursing, being held back by a group of Vikings from his own village. Here we were, a monster of a boy and a crazed chief's son, snarling at each other like two rabid dragons.

"Now CALM DOWN, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of this!" It was my dad again, hollering at the monster's enraged father and his equally enraged neighbors. "HICCUP!" He was yelling at me now, violently shaking me by my shoulders. "What. HAPPENED?"

The words flew out of my mouth automatically. "HE TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HER!"

My dad shook me harder. "Who? Astrid?"

At the mention of her name, the image of my Astrid lying helpless on the ground came rushing back to me, and hot tears started pouring down my face at the memory. "Y-yes!" I sobbed. "HE TRIED TO, DAD! T-TO _ASTRID_!"

The crowd roared to life again, and once more, everything became a confused blur of screams, shouts, angry faces, flailing arms, and flaming torches. I suddenly remembered Astrid having fainted on the ground. Where was she? What had they done with her? Was she awake? Was she all right? I needed to see her…my Astrid…

"Astrid, where's _Astrid_?" I found myself crying out to no one in particular.

"Get him to Elder Gothi," my dad grumbled to whoever was restraining me. "And make sure he _doesn't go anywhere._"

At that, two pairs of arms swung me around and began marching me off in the opposite direction. I suddenly realized that the arms grabbing mine belonged to Snotlout and Fishlegs, and that Tuffnut and Gobber were both behind me.

"Astrid…" I mumbled, hardly aware of the fact that I was speaking.

"She'll be okay, couz," Snotlout said quietly. "They brought her back home already. And C.B. Toothless is with her, too."

I nodded weakly, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with exhaustion. I let them drag me all the way to Elder Gothi's house, where the little old woman pushed me onto a bed and started tending to my nose with Odin-knows-what kinds of spices and herbs. I didn't bother to struggle or say anything the whole time. All I wanted now was to see Astrid, to be by her side, to make sure she was safe and that no one could ever hurt her again.

Some time later, my friends left, and my dad walked in. I couldn't remember if I'd fallen asleep or not—everything was so hazy. But the minute Dad appeared in the doorway, I jumped up in bed, my senses suddenly sharpening again.

"Dad—"

"Settle down, Hiccup," he interrupted almost wearily, running a large hand over his face. He nodded to Elder Gothi before taking a seat at my bedside.

Begrudgingly, I let my back settle against the pillows once more. "What happened? How's Astrid? Where is—" I paused upon remembering the face of that brute, and suddenly, the fury started flaring up in me again. I didn't even notice myself shaking until my dad laid a firm hand on my arm.

"Hiccup. _Hiccup_! For Odin's sake, calm _down_."

Almost reflexively, I whirled on him, half-jumping out of the bed. "_Calm down_? You expect me to _calm down_? Didn't you _hear _what that…that _mongrel _tried to do to Astrid? He tried to—"

"I _know _what he tried to do, Hiccup," Dad answered quietly, his stony eyes boring into my blazing ones. "And he will be dealt with, I assure you."

I suddenly hated him for being so seemingly gentle about the whole incident. As if it hadn't been a big deal. How _dare _he. That idiot had tried to take advantage of my Astrid, and here my father was, talking to me as if I was some little child, trying to make everything look like it was all right and that there wasn't anything to worry about.

"'Dealt with'?" I shot back at him. "_That isn't good enough_!" I was yelling again.

"_HICCUP_!" he boomed, the force of his mere voice knocking me back into the pillows. "Do you realize what you did out there?"

"Of COURSE!" I screamed, hot tears trailing down my flushed face. "And he _deserved _it!" My fists were clenched so tightly, I could feel my fingernails digging into my palms.

"Hiccup," Dad said, much more softly this time. He tried to lay his hand back on my arm, but I shifted away. He sighed. "Hiccup, you nearly beat that boy unconscious. If I hadn't gotten there when I did, Thor knows how far you would've gone, being…in the state of mind that you were."

"Then you shouldn't have come. So I could've finished it." I turned my face away from him.

"Dear gods, Hiccup, listen to yourself! Do you really believe that you want to _kill_ that boy?"

"_YES_!" I swung my head back around. "Why the Hel do you even care?"

A heavy silence fell upon the pair of us, broken only by the sound of our labored breathing. After a few long moments, Dad finally spoke up again.

"Do you remember the time when I told you that you weren't a dragon killer?" he asked softly.

I stared at my feet and crossed my arms, wondering where this was going. "Yes," I grumbled.

He sighed. "Well, that day…it reminded me of when you were very young…" He paused. "I remember one day your mother was outside, watching you play. When I came to join her, she said something that I've never forgotten, even after all this time."

He paused again to see if I would react at all. I didn't.

He cleared his throat awkwardly and continued. "I remember…I sat down beside her, and she turned to me and said, 'Stoick, that boy might grow to be a warrior someday, but he'll never be a killer.'"

At that, my head snapped up.

I had never known my mother had said that.

Dad's tired green eyes met mine, and this time I didn't turn away. "That's the real reason I never wanted you in dragon training, Hiccup," he whispered. "I knew in my heart that your mother was right. You could fight if you had to. But even if you were somehow forced to kill in a dire situation, you would never have the _spirit_ of a killer. You had the instinct to protect, to defend—but you wouldn't be an attacker. _I_ wouldn't _let _you be one. I didn't want to…spoil that…to take that innocence away from you. To turn you into something you didn't have to be."

I dropped my arms and froze, staring dumbly at him. I didn't know what to say. I was stunned speechless.

"Hiccup, I know you were only thinking of Astrid," Dad went on, taking the chance to clasp one of my hands in his own. "And initially, you did the right thing, protecting her like that. And I'm proud of you."

My face suddenly felt hot.

"But to kill that boy…you don't need to." He took a deep breath and squeezed my hand. "You are _not _a killer, Hiccup. There are times when you might have to go that far to protect the ones you love…but in this case…she was already safe. You were acting out of pure rage then. It's not _you_ to lose yourself like that. You know that. _Astrid_ knows that. I know she would never expect you to do something that would compromise who you are."

He fell silent, and I gulped, hoping he couldn't see the fresh tears that had suddenly welled up in my eyes. Now that I had heard my dad's words…I knew he was right. I was still furious at that boy for trying to hurt my Astrid, but when I envisioned his face again, I couldn't work up the desire to kill him anymore. I thought of my Astrid, screaming before collapsing to the ground unconscious. Had she screamed because she had been in shock after what had almost happened to her? Or had she been terrified of what she had seen just before she had fainted—had she been terrified of _me_? Of seeing _me_, of all people, brutally beating that boy? Of me trying to be a killer when all I had ever been to her was the exact opposite?

I blinked reluctantly and took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Dad."

He smiled at me—a ghost of a smile. "It's all right, son," he replied. "I understand."

I thought of my Astrid again, and then I remembered what Snotlout had said earlier about her having been brought back to her house. "Do you think I could…go visit Astrid now?" I asked quietly.

Dad's smile broadened. "Of course." He moved to stand up, and I scooted out from under the sheets and did the same.

When we arrived at the Hofferson house, Bertha Hofferson, Astrid's mother, was at the door, practically waiting for me. "Oh, dear gods!" she cried when set eyes on me in the doorway, grabbing me in a tight hug. I could barely breathe. "This one is a gift sent straight from Asgard, I tell you," she told my dad, who was chuckling softly.

"Indeed he is," Dad agreed.

She pulled back finally and looked into my eyes. Hers were a clear, sparkling blue, just like my Astrid's. "Thank you," she whispered in a raspy voice. Those eyes were now filling up with grateful tears. "Thank you so much. I don't know what that girl would do without you."

I blushed, beginning to fidget in my usual way. "I..uh…well, the dragons helped…" I ran a hand sheepishly through my hair.

Mrs. Hofferson's smile only widened, and she lifted a hand to pat my cheek. "But it's thanks to you that we even have them," she said, sniffling. "But enough of my rattling—come inside! It's getting chilly."

After a few moments of shuffling around, Mrs. Hofferson led us to Astrid's new room, which had been re-built to accommodate Cloudbreak as well as her rider. The minute we walked in, C.B. and Toothless bounded up to me, purring and cooing and nuzzling and licking my face happily.

"Hey, hey, guys," I laughed, patting both of their snouts. "Thanks for looking out for Astrid."

The two dragons gurgled affectionately, before Toothless grabbed hold of my shirt in his mouth and dragged me straight to Astrid's bed.

And then there she was.

Gods, she was so beautiful. Her long blond hair was loose and fanned out upon her pillow, and her round cheeks were flushed pink from the warmth of her fireplace. She lay perfectly still—save for swell and fall of her breaths—with her slender little hands placed atop her stomach. She looked so peaceful I could hardly believe that she was the same girl who had been wracked with terror just a few hours ago. I breathed a deep sigh of relief at finally being able to see my Astrid. She was all right. No harm could reach her now.

"Thank Odin you're okay," I whispered, taking a seat on the bed and brushing my fingers against her smooth cheek.

"Well, we'll leave you two, then," I heard Mrs. Hofferson say, before she and Dad discreetly exited the room.

When the door closed behind them, I scooted closer to Astrid and carefully laid my head on the pillow next to hers. I wanted to be as near to her as possible, to hold her close and protect her from anything and everything. Although my anger had finally subsided, the shock of the night's events hadn't, and I still felt the powerful urge to grab Astrid in my arms and never let her go. So that's what I did. I lifted my legs up onto the bed with the rest of my body and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against my chest, stopping only when I was sure I could feel her heartbeat pounding in time with my own.

"I love you," I whispered softly into her ear. She sighed in her sleep and unconsciously snuggled into my embrace.

I placed gentle kisses all over her face before closing my eyes and leaning my chin atop her head. It had been a long ordeal of a night, but now I could finally be at ease, knowing that my Astrid was safe here in my arms.


	7. Breaking Point, Part Three

_Dear Readers,_

_So, I've realized that I have OVER 100 REVIEWS. ::awkward silence:: I FREAKING LOVE YOU PEOPLE! I'm so flattered that you guys love these ficlets so much, and I'm incredibly grateful to you for reading and reviewing and supporting them. You are AWESOME. I know I haven't been able to reply to your reviews individually, like I used to, because there are now so many of them, but I just want to let you know that I appreciate them all and that I really do love your feedback. You make a poor college student so happy. ::sniff::_

_Anyhoo, finally, this is the **FINAL part of "Breaking Point"** ::cue joyous cheering:: It's incredibly sappy, and I apologize. But I guess it'll be a nice change from all that drama in the last two chapters. ::lol:: I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again!_

_Best regards from a dragon-loving bookworm,_

_Miss Pookamonga ;p_

_**PS:** If you haven't seen _**The Sorcerer's Apprentice **_yet, go see it, because Jay Baruchel (aka Hiccup) is awesome. Yay.  
_

_

* * *

_

**VII. Breaking Point, Part Three**

**

* * *

**

_Warmth._

_I felt it next to me, and I shifted closer to its source, wanting to feel more of it. So much warmth. My body tingled with it as I tried to move even closer, and I curled my hands around something in front of me and sighed as more warmth flooded through my skin…_

My eyes shot open, and I found myself lying in my bed.

Instantly, I realized I wasn't alone. I froze in terror. Something—some_one_ was right next to me. Someone who wasn't supposed to be there. Someone foreign was in my bed, pressed right up against me, _holding on to me _tightly—

"Stop, Toothless. Sheep can't fly," I heard coming from just above my head.

That voice was unmistakable.

I looked up, and my eyes suddenly met the dozing face of none other than…

"Hiccup."

At the sound of his name, the boy in question stirred, and his deep green eyes blinked open groggily.

"As…trid?" He blinked again, his face clearing. "Astrid?—Astrid!" He started suddenly, his arms tensing around my back and pulling me towards him.

I gasped in surprise at his reaction and flattened my hands against his chest, trying to push away from his crushing grip. What in Odin's name—?

"Oh, Astrid," he continued, clutching me to him. I could barely breathe. "Thank gods you're okay. Thank gods you're okay."

I shook my head, confused. "Hic…cup, you're…agh…I can't…breathe…"

He immediately loosened his hold on me. "Oh, gods, I'm sorry!"

I gulped in a deep breath of air and found his eyes again. To my shock, they were wide with fear. I wracked my brain for some kind of explanation as to what was going on.

"Hiccup, what…what are you doing in my bed?" Not that I really minded, but still…

At that, he blushed beautifully, brilliant spots of red blooming on both his freckled cheeks. I couldn't help but savor the swooping feeling in my stomach that came upon my seeing his sheepish, flushed face.

"I…uh…kind of…I wanted…to make sure you were okay…" he muttered awkwardly.

I furrowed my brow, trying to make sense of what he'd said. "And…why wouldn't I be?" Something tugged at the back of my mind—something I was forgetting. But I couldn't quite figure it out.

"You mean…you don't remember?"

Hiccup's expression had returned to one of fear, and he was staring at me with those unnerving, widened eyes again. I felt the odd tug once more. What piece of this mystery was I missing? "I…"

And then it all came rushing back.

The darkened alleys. The gang from the other village. The chase. The big one, throwing me to the ground and launching himself on top of me. My terror of what was going to happen to me, and my feeling of helplessness. Then, the screams, the dragons, and…_Hiccup_. Hiccup, beating up that boy, trying to protect me…

"Astrid?"

I snapped out of my trance, feeling Hiccup's hands clenching my shoulders, shaking me. I gazed up at his face, which was frozen with concern. Hiccup. _My_ Hiccup. My Hiccup had saved me…he had protected me…

"You rescued me," I whispered, reaching up to touch his cheek. I felt a sudden rush of some unidentifiable feeling surge through me, and it compelled me to scoot back towards him. "You rescued me," I repeated.

To my surprise, Hiccup's eyes suddenly filled with tears, and they began spilling down his face, trickling over my fingers and splashing onto my pillow.

"Hiccup?" I brought my other hand up to cup his cheek. "Hiccup…what's wrong?"

He slid his hands down my back to rest against my waist again, and then he pulled me against his body. I could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage.

"Oh, Astrid," he whispered, lifting one hand to brush it against my cheek and thread his fingers through my hair. "Astrid…"

He couldn't say anything but my name. He kept mumbling it over and over through his tears as he ran his fingers through my hair and traced the contours of my face with his thumb.

Then it hit me.

He had been terrified. Terrified that he'd…_lose me_.

Instantly, I brought my hands away from his face and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, hugging him. "Oh, Hiccup," I breathed. "It's okay. I'm safe now. I'm safe because of you."

"I know, I know," he replied, still crying. "But I…it was awful…I was so scared for you…"

And then he told me everything. How Cloudbreak had found him and Toothless in the cove and how the two dragons had led him to me. How he'd seen the gang of boys and how he'd flown into a rage. How the crowd had found him and how he'd had to be dragged away to Elder Gothi. And how he'd finally ended up here, with me.

"I've never been so _furious _in my life, Astrid," he sniveled, trembling. "It was like…it was like I'd reached my breaking point. If it hadn't been for my dad…I would've tried to _kill_ that guy. I wanted to _kill_ him for what he tried to do. Really, I just wanted to…"

He trailed off, biting his lip and leaning his forehead against mine. I had never before seen Hiccup like this. So terrified, so vulnerable, and yet so…protective. It shocked me to know just how passionately Hiccup wanted to keep me safe. He'd never been this emotional over anything before, yet now here he was, telling me that he'd nearly lost his mind trying to defend me.

Tears suddenly sprung to my own eyes.

He really, truly, unconditionally…_loved _me.

"Oh, Hiccup," I sniffed. I brought a hand back to rest against his cheek. "I love you. I love you so much."

He leaned forward then and captured my mouth possessively, as if he were still afraid of losing me. His arms clenched even more tightly around my waist as his lips and tongue feverishly conveyed his answer to me.

_I love you too, Astrid Hofferson. You are MINE, and I promise I will do anything and everything to keep you safe._

He finally pulled away after the longest time, but only barely. I could tell by the look in his beautiful green eyes that he was reluctant to let go of me. "I love you," he breathed with words this time, running one hand back through my tangled hair. "I'll never let anyone hurt you. Ever."

"I know," I whispered back, staring into his eyes. "I know."


End file.
